Thieves tap into 130 mile fuel pipeline and siphon off thousands of gallons of
diesel in audacious heist

Police are hunting a gang of thieves suspected of carrying out a sophisticated heist in which thousands of gallons of diesel were siphoned from one of Britain’s most important oil pipelines.

The gang are suspected of tapping into a pipeline that runs 130 miles from the Esso refinery in Fawley near Southampton to the West Midlands, helping themselves to at least 30,000 litres of fuel.

Detectives are investigating suggestions the thieves had rented an industrial unit near Romsey, Hampshire, above an area where the pipeline passes, and had been siphoning off the fuel for sometime before the scam was uncovered.

The alarm was raised when the owner of one the units discovered a large amount of fuel hidden at the scene.

It is understood the fuel had been loaded into tanks ready to be moved but it is not clear if all the diesel has been recovered or if the thieves were able to make off with any before the scam was discovered.

The men, aged 32 and 34, were apprehended in Salisbury, Wiltshire and were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to steal fuel from Esso.

Police, experts from the Environment Agency and health and safety officials have been at the scene round the clock to ensure there is no danger to the public as well as to investigate the alleged theft.

The Midline Pipeline, which is 14in in diameter, is known as the is one of the most important in Britain and helps supply gas, oil, diesel and jet fuel around the country.

The pipeline, which cost £40 million to construct in the mid 1980s, runs through some of the most stunning countryside in the south of England but is largely buried from view a few feet underground.

It was extended in the 1990s and now runs out to Birmingham International Airport.

It is not the first time thieves have targeted the pipeline and a similar plot was discovered in Gloucestershire.

Detectives have described the plot as “sophisticated” but refused to confirm reports that as much as 30,000 litres had been siphoned off, worth in excess of £40,000.

Hampshire police said the fuel was being stored safely and that engineers from the Esso Refinery at Fawley were working to “retrieve it”.

Locals reported seeing lights and activity at the site late at night, but did not suspect anything unusual was taking place.

One said: “It is outrageous, you are talking about volatile stuff. You could not make it up, it is incredible.”

A police spokeswoman said that the “large quantity” of diesel was found at 7.30pm on Thursday and was "believed to have been illegally obtained" but added that the exact circumstances were central to the investigation and were not being revealed.

An Esso spokesman: "Esso is assisting Hampshire Police with their enquiries following the discovery of a store of fuel in the Romsey area. Early indications suggest that the fuel may have come from a nearby Esso pipeline. Investigations continue into whether this is the case.

"Esso is committed to the very highest standards of safety. The pipeline has therefore been closed down and our specialists are working to check it and, if necessary, effect any repair. We will not resume operations of the pipeline until this work is complete."